Day Twelve - Ubud, Elephant Cave

  • The exterior of the Elephant Cave » Click to zoom ->

    The exterior of the Elephant Cave

  • The sacred bathing pool at the Elephant Cave » Click to zoom ->

    The sacred bathing pool at the Elephant Cave

  • The ravine at the rear of the Elephant Cave, Ubud » Click to zoom ->

    The ravine at the rear of the Elephant Cave, Ubud

  • The exterior of the Elephant Cave » Click to zoom ->

    The exterior of the Elephant Cave

As predicted we awake late. Way too late for breakfast and don't head for Ubud until 1pm which is a pain. Even more so when we're both hungover from last night's cocktail shenanigans. I'm not in a fit state to haggle properly for a driver to Ubud and as such we end up paying a hugely inflated price for the round trip.

One of the real irritations of living down south in Nusa Dua is the difficulty of getting about. Most of the roads are thin and twisting with barely enough room for two way traffic, let alone with the roadside warungs, dogs wandering and the weaving motorcycles sometimes carrying as much as four passengers on the back riding in and out with little consideration for cars. It's a hairy business. When we originally came we had planned to hire a car, for getting about the island and went to the great hassle of obtaining international driving licenses. However, upon our first trip in a taxi into Nusa Dua there was no way that I'd ever want to be at the wheel here. It didn't look like fun. The roads are jam packed in southern areas and I'd just go grey within minutes, not to mention probably being a danger to myself and all around me. Basically south of Ubud the roads are totally grid locked around numerous one way systems and travelling anywhere can get to be a bit of a chore. It takes us over one and a half hours to travel the relatively short distance to Ubud. Sure, the scenery can be lovely and there's always something new to look at, but it can be very tiring when you want to do is arrive at your destination. Quite what the roads will end up being like if the continuing increase in tourism carries on I'd hate to think. Motorways??

Ubud, like most towns in Bali has ended up spiralling and sprawling out from the centre as growth has increased, and in the extensive outskirts of Ubud there are areas essentially dedicated to a sinlge industry. Outside you'll be travelling through scores and scores of stone sculpture shops, then the others side drive through dozens of roads with nothing other than gold and silver jewellers.

This though is the first time we've been in the centre of Ubud, and unfortunately, it's a bit of a dustbowl. It's extremely busy, hot, quite grimy with large amounts of litter strewn around. It's not totally dissimilar to Egyptian markets, with lots of noise and the ubiquitous hawkers shouting 'transport!' at you from all angles.

After a pleasant lunch we walk up and down the main streets before coming across a large, semi-outdoor market, populated by numerous stalls all selling the similarly styled sarongs, wood carvings and photo albums. We buy a few souvenirs here, yet find the craft shop offer the most interesting style of ornaments.

Once we've gone through sufficient amounts of souvenir fatigue we go the Elephant Cave on the outskirts of Ubud. The Rough Guide disses this somewhat as being crowded and unspectacular, but we find it a pleasant surprise. We arrive late, and so bar a dozen or so Japanese tourists who don't hang around too long, we're on our own. The cave itself is a superbly entrance to a dark and small shrine. Inside it's not actually up to much, but it's the setting that's so much more satisfying. Set upon a multi-tiered edge of a ravine with the usual fantastic greenery we've become used to and little waterfalls following the river downward.

It's dark now and so we get back in our Bemo only to have endure another terminally grid locked route home. By the time we reach the hotel there's little incentive but to eat in the restaurant here, have a quiet drink but thankfully with no hangover tomorrow...